Poll: 76% Want Across-the-Board Spending Cuts

(CNSNews.com) – More than three-fourths of Americans want across-the-board spending cuts to the federal budget and more than two-thirds oppose raising taxes on small businesses that earn more than $250,000 per year, according to a Politico/George Washington University/Battleground poll released on Monday.

However, Politico, in its reporting of the poll, focused primarily on results favoring tax hikes on high-income earners and large corporations, even though the favorability for these were lower than the measures in favor of spending cuts.

Moreover, among the 76 percent in favor of cutting government, 59 percent said they “strongly” favored spending cuts across the board, compared to just 41 percent that strongly supported raising taxes on high earners and 19 percent that somewhat supported it. Also, 50 percent “strongly” opposed hiking taxes on small businesses, while 47 percent “strongly” supported raising taxes on big corporations.

Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio). (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The poll comes at a time when President Barack Obama is facing off against House Republicans on talks to avert the so-called fiscal cliff, which refers to raising tax rates for all income brackets and allowing automatic spending cuts (sequestration) to kick in at the beginning of the new year, unless Congress acts.

The poll asked 1,000 respondents, “As you may already know, in December, Congress will consider a number of proposals to reduce the federal budget deficit. Please listen carefully as I read each proposal and tell me if you would favor or oppose that particular proposal.”

Question 28 listed this proposal: “Raising taxes on households that earn more than $250,000.” Among the respondents, 41 percent strongly favored tax hikes on high earners, and 19 percent somewhat supported it. Just 25 percent were strongly opposed and 13 percent were somewhat opposed, while 2 percent were undecided.

Question 29 listed this proposal: “Raising taxes on small businesses that earn more than $250,000.” Only 13 percent strongly supported this plan, while 16 percent somewhat favored it, for a total 29 percent in favor. A full half of respondents, 50 percent, strongly opposed it, while another 19 percent somewhat opposed it, for a total of 69 percent against raising taxes on small businesses that earn more than $250,000 a year.

On some other issues, the poll showed that the largest number, 23 percent, considered “government spending and the budget deficit” as the “most important” question Congress should focus on, followed by 22 percent on “the economy” and 14 percent on “jobs.” Only 2 percent said “illegal immigration” was the “most important” question for Congress.

(AP Photo)

In addition, while 39 percent had a strongly favorable impression of President Obama, 37 percent had a strongly unfavorable impression of him. Also, 25 percent were strongly favorable on Joe Biden but 32 percent were strongly unfavorable.

Furthermore, while 30 percent strongly approved of Obama’s promotion of gay marriage, 35 percent strongly disapproved. On taxes, 36 percent strongly disapproved and 28 percent approved of the president’s work on the issue.